~*~ 37 ~*~
He amazed me, still shaking my head I headed down the steps towards her. I still hadn't seen her pickup. She must have parked a short distance away and then walked to the sidewalk to meet me.
She was smiling brightly. "How was it?"
"Overwhelming and boring at the same time. Did you know a Mr. Richards?"
She laughed. "Oh surely yes. I went to school with him. Real stick in the mud but he's not bad. Give him a chance. I know your dad and uncle gave him a bull ride of a time. He's probably worried about the next generation of Crofter's."
"He implied as much, but after school he came up and said hi and winked at me!"
"You don't say?" she looked at me. "Must have taken a shine to you after all, despite your historic name."
"Where's the truck?"
"I didn't bring my beast." her voice was enigmatic.
Before I could ask, she held out a key chain dangling it back and forth, three keys suspended from it.
"What's that?"
"Well," she pointed "this is your house key."
"The other two?"
"See for yourself!" grinning she pointed to a shiny yellow jeep parked at the curb with a smart black vinyl roof. "Early Christmas present to keep forever no matter where you call home."
I stood there staring it my mouth hanging open. I didn't know what to say or do. Tears welled up in my eyes. I hastily scrubbed them from my face.
"It's okay Rowan." She pulled me into a hug.
"Thank you!" I managed as gracefully as I could. Part of me wanted to bounce around it laughing!
"Glad you like it."
"Like it? I adore it!"
"Two things. The color. It was the only one on the lot."
"I absolutely love the color!" Only then did I notice the new vehicle stickers on the driver's side passenger window and looked up at her my mouth hanging open. Grams continued on as if not noticing "And two, its manual. Can you drive a stick?"
"I can learn!"
"I thought that might be the case. Hence the reason I parked way back here. This way you can learn here in the lot. Once you get the hang of how to use the clutch and find where the friction point is, it's a piece of cake. You'll love it and won't want to go back to an automatic."
"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Running over to her I hugged her tightly almost knocking her off her feet. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You shouldn't have done this!"
"I also did the liberty of doing some shopping for you. You can take back anything you don't like. Have a look inside!" She was grinning like it was Christmas morning!
I opened the driver's door flabbergasted beyond belief. Inside in the back seat was an army of bags from a store name I didn't recognize. "Some shopping?"
Grams shrugged, still grinning she got in on the passenger side. "Just a bit. You needed this hon."
I wanted to laugh, cry, and scream all at the same time, but instead I got in carefully and examined the dashboard and looked down at the three pedals on the floor and the gear shifter between Grams and I.
"Standard 'H' pattern for the gear shifter and reverse is push down and move to the left and up. Fifth or over drive is to the center over to the right and up. Sounds confusing now but you'll get it."
I craned around to see the back inspecting the interior of the jeep. The backseat was laden with her shopping. Looking back up front I noticed she had laid a narrow cheerful sunflower swag across the dash.
She saw me looking at it "Thought you might need something to cheer you up." she explained.
"I love it!"
She smiled looking as happy as I was.
Pretty soon the lot cleared out. It emptied really fast here, maybe because there was nowhere near the amount of students as at my last school but still, no one really stayed around their cars talking like back home. It made me miss Sarah even more. I had to call her as soon as I got home today.
"What's in the bags?" I asked grinning.
"You'll have to wait until you go through them now won't you?" She sounded mysterious again.
"Can I drive now?" I looked at her.
She nodded her head. "Go ahead! Whenever you feel comfortable. It's not hard. You'll see."
And it wasn't. I only ground the gears once and stalled it a couple times before I caught on.
"See? Cake walk!" she was grinning happily. "I knew you'd take to it right away!"
And then I drove us home. Grams got out getting the gates this time. Waving off my attempts to do it. "You'll be doing this plenty living here, believe me. It gets old very quickly."
And then I parked it behind her blue truck marveling at how sunny and cheerful it looked!
"Grams?"
She looked at me grinning like a school girl herself. "What baby girl?"
It was the nick name dad called me, I felt a pang of sorrow for the way I had hurt him when I left. "Thank you, I don't know how to say it. Thank you so very, very much." I leaned over the console and hugged her tightly.
"Shh child. I know what it's like. Believe me." She hugged me back then looked behind her. "We got some work to do."
I laughed and jumped out grabbing as many of the bags as I could reach.
"Straight up the stairs to your room with the lot of this okay? Be easier to tackle how and where to put everything!"
"You didn't have to do this Grams."
"Sure I did!"
I sighed.
"Stop it Rowan. It's my turn to spoil you now. I will have none of that sighing. I thoroughly enjoyed myself today!"
"Thank you."
She waved a hand in front of her face "Shh, grab that last bag will you, I can't quite reach it."
And then we were in and upstairs. There were bags and bags of clothes. Some of the bags held school supplies. Others had shoes. There was makeup, hair ties and clips, jewelry, bath and body stuff. It looked like she had bought out an entire store!
She looked at the new dresser up against the wall that didn't have windows. "It was pretty sorry looking with nothing in it."
"Thank you!"
"Shh! Now, if you don't like anything here it won't hurt my feelings any to return and exchange it okay?"
I nodded loving everything so far. There were piles of jeans, sweatshirts, tee shirts and cute blouses. "I love this, but you know what?"
"What?"
I got up, walking over to her pulled her into a hug "I love you."
Hugging me back "I love you too Rowan." She patted my arm. "Well, you got your work cut out for you." she nodded at the piles of clothes to try on and put away. "Come down when you're done and we can make up something for dinner. You hungry?"
I had to think about it. "Not really, at least not yet."
"You do eat like a bird! We'll have to change that." Chuckling she went down the stairs "Have fun!"
After she was gone I ran to the window and looked down at my pretty yellow jeep. I had to make certain I wasn't dreaming! Then I tried on all the clothes and put them away, already finding the outfit I was going to wear tomorrow. Cute jeans that fit perfectly, a loose black blouse that I fell in love with and the cutest black boots! Grams had great taste. No one could accuse her of being old fashioned! When I had put everything away I picked up my phone and noticed that it was still powered off. I had forgotten to turn it back on after the airport. Hitting number two on my speed dial I called Sarah.
"Hi!"
"Hi! You sound great! Oh my god! I got out early because we had to do the car switch thing, mom got a new van! I just walked in the door! How's exile?"
I looked at the clock, I had forgotten about the time difference. "You know?"
"Yeah, I called your dad this morning when I couldn't reach you. He gave me some sketchy details. Family fights suck big time don't they?"
"Yeah, they do. Sorry, I had forgotten to turn my phone back on again."
"So, any cute boys? What's the school like? Spill it!"
And I did. Except for Grayson. I didn't mention a word about him. Leave it to her to bring him up.
"What about your boyfriend."
"Who?"
"Funny Rowan, Bryce!" Sarah didn't know him by his first name yet.
"Oh. Um—- we had a bit of a disagreement."
I could see her nodding "Sucks that it happened the same time your dad sent you away. I wish my mom would send me away. My sisters' are a real pain!" And then she launched into life in back home and I missed it. I was learning to like it here and Grams was so loving and giving. But if I let myself, if I gave myself the smallest bit of an open door, I missed him like I would air if I were trapped underwater.
"You miss him don't you?" she said suddenly and perceptively.
"I do—- a lot."
"You coming back for Christmas?"
"I don't—- I'm not sure. Maybe." Honestly I hadn't thought of it. But the more I did the more I wondered. What would I be going back to? I had to ask myself that. Dad and me, Sarah, Grayson was gone, banished back home. Just like I'd been banished.
"Say you'll come!" Sarah persisted.
"I'll see. Maybe." I hedged.
"Then again, a new jeep and a slew of clothes, you have the coolest Grandma. Maybe I can come there, if you can't come here? You think she would mind? I wonder if my mom could exile me and then I could come there and live with you!"
"No, I don't think Grams would mind. I've more than enough room for you in my room." I told her all about the private sitting room that was a library, and the stairs up to my tower room with all the windows. And of course I had to tell her about Mr. Richards and the irrepressible Riley!
Sarah's mom called for her so we said our good-bye. I hung up missing her. I debated calling dad and decided to call him later. I wanted to go downstairs and spend time with Grams. Walking down the circular stairs, my right hand on the railing the setting sun caught my ring. It glittered sending off a shower of prism sparkles fluttering in all directions. The light it gave off was reminiscent of the light given off by Grayson when he flashed.
Stopping half way down the stairs, the wall was pure glass I stood looking up at the sky wondering if he could see me. If he even wanted to see me even. For that matter, I wasn't sure I wanted to see him. Grams suddenly poked her head into my sitting room. "Oh good. You're on your way down. There's a phone call for you."
"Me?"
She nodded looking unsettled.
Following her downstairs I picked up the phone in the foyer, a big old fashioned heavy black telephone with a rotary dial.
"Rowan?" a worried voice said into the phone.
"Mom? How did—-" I was confused.
"Your dad called me last night. Oh honey, let me come pick you up and take you home with me!"
"No mom. I am not going to live with you. I am staying here with Grams."
"I can't imagine your dad ever snapping like that! To send you away? And to that god forsaken place! North Dakota?" She wasn't listening to me at all.
"Mom!"
"I remember how to get to Athena's house."
"Mom!"
"I'll be there in—-"
"JOYCE!" I yelled. My voice echoed off the walls like a foreign thing that didn't quite know where to settle. "Stop it!"
Mom became silent. Thankfully I tried again. "I am not leaving here. I am staying. It doesn't matter how or why. No matter what, this is where I am. And where I am staying." I said resolutely.
Her mom changed track sounding commiserating. "What did he do to you baby?"
"Mom? Are you listening to me at all?"
"Sure I am baby" her voice took on a cajoling tone "but tell me what he did okay? I can get a lawyer and we can—-" I knew she was building up a huge drama thing and I wanted no part of it. I hung up on her. Turning I saw Grams leaning against the wall in the hall looking at me sadly.
"It's okay Grams."
She shook her head. "Come on kiddo, help me set dinner. Working with your hands is always a balm for your soul."
And I remembered someone else who had a thing for working with his hands. I looked down at the ring and then stuffed my hand in my pocket.
There were three places set on the table in the kitchen already. I noticed it as soon as I came in. "We expecting company?"
She turned to me as if wanting to say something but changed her mind. "There's a possibility so I just thought" she shrugged her shoulders "this way we wouldn't have to get up during the meal. It would be done already."
I wasn't going to pry for her secrets. At least not now.
"Can I take 'the bee' out for a spin after dinner?"
"The bee? I like that name for your jeep. And you don't have to ask Rowan."
I looked at her sideways. Didn't parents, or those in parental positions always take the 'ask me first' stance?
She laughed, my expression having given away my thoughts. "Yes you can go. There is not much of anything around here once you leave the yard."
Yard was what she called her hundreds of acres. "You can go anytime you want as long as your chores are done. And since we have none set up yet. Sure, go on and have fun."
I helped her set the table and we talked over dinner. She asked me if I'd been able to meet Riley.
"Short with curly hair, can't be quiet and talks all the time, could that be him?"
She nodded swallowing her tea. "Incessantly?"
I nodded, "Totally!"
"That would be our Riley. Sweet boy but, oh yes, he does have the gift of gab in excess!" And the rest of the meal passed like that. Periodically she would look at the empty place setting with a frown.
After dinner was cleared I hugged her. "You want to come with me?"
"Oh no!" she shook her head "You go have fun with, what did you name her again? Bee?"
"Bee, yours is beast so mine is bee, in honor of her colors and the truck of the best Grams in the world who gave her to me!"
She patted my shoulder affectionately "Get out of here. School night though, be home when you are expected."
"Expected?"
"You know, school night hours. I would imagine at your age you have a really good working knowledge of what that is, without me telling you! Or am I wrong? Should I set a time?"
"No! No!" I laughed "I got it! Be in by two in the morning!"
"Rowan!" but she was smiling.
"I won't be too long at all."
"I know."